Nearly one-third of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers invited to a lunch with KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) were absent yesterday, including Hsu Chiao-hsin (徐巧芯), who was reportedly planning to propose a much-bigger arms purchase budget than the one that the KMT submitted to the legislature.
The lunch was to be a two-day affair, with the first one attended by lawmakers from the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, Finance Committee, Internal Administration Committee and Economic Committee, and the second one, scheduled today, would have lawmakers from the Judiciary and Organic Laws Committee, Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee, Education and Culture Committee and Transportation Committee.
Yesterday’s session was to include 26 committee members, but only 17 legislators showed up.
Photo: Lo Pei-de, Taipei Times
The poorly attended gathering coincided with rumors of rising discontent among KMT lawmakers over the leadership’s handling of the defense budget and the local elections later this year.
Hsu, who was reportedly planning to propose an NT$810 billion (US$25.35 billion) special defense budget, more than double the so-called “NT$380+N billion” bill presented by the party, was absent, citing a scheduling conflict.
KMT Legislator Hsieh I-feng (謝衣鳳), whose plan to run for Changhua County commissioner has reportedly caused a rift in the family, was also absent.
Cheng has refused to intervene, saying that the party would not be involved in the Hsieh family’s affairs.
KMT caucus whip Fu Kun-chi said the party head and the legislative caucus hold regular meetings, aiming to give all committee members a chance to speak freely.
“Face-to-face meetings are important for facilitating the implementation of policies and integration of strategies in a positive direction,” he said.
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